Window operator



1l, 1945. A. RAPPL WINDOW OPERATOR Filed May 2s, 1944 1..., m Il,

. IIIIIIIMI nNvENToR ANTON @APPL BY (Ewa,

MNEYS Painted Dsc. u,

Mmmm simulateurs i i mmm(karim-aman,1m1nm,i-z.xr.`

Appui-.cuen my es, 1944. sans Na. 53u75 n cnam. (c1. zes-res) This invention relates to a window operator especially designed for thev opening and closing oi" motor vehicle windows. These windows are ordinarily counterbalanced by a heavy spring so as to minimize the lifting eifort required for raising the window to a closed positi4 The modern motor vehicle has oi late been equipped with suction or vacuum operatedmotors to raise and lower the window. means being employed to lock the window by and during any attempt to pry the window open. Where the window is freely movable and is being power operated in a downward or window opening direction, there is a tendency for the window to chatter, which chattering is caused by the window falling ahead of the motor and momentarily by its own weight applying the window lock rendered inoperative as soon as the motor catches up.

The primary object Voi' the present invention is to provide an eiilcient window operator which will function in` a smooth and practical manner. Further, the invention has for its object to provide a window system which is of durable and economical construction formerly required counterbalancing means be eliminated `for all practical Purposes.

In lthe drawing Fig. 1 is a dltic view showing the i @window system ot thepresent invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view through theV motor unit: Figf is a transverse section abonton line m-m of ng. s; and' Fig. 4 is a fragmentary showing of a slightly modified form oi' the windovgretarding means -employed in the present invention.

` n Referring more vparticularly to theflrawing. the Y "numeral'ldesignates a window oi. amotor vehicle which is vertically slidable in guideways 2 for opening movement down into an underlying well. Within the well is arranged a i'iuid motor 3 hav ing conduis 4 @meeting the opposite ends thereof to a suction or low supply line .I throughfa. control valve i. A flexible power transmitting member 9 is supported by four -leys l to provide two vertically see Aflights or portions l' on which the window is supported by the spaced bracket arms II. The lower pulleys l are shown supported by brackets 3' on the opposite ends of the motor. The ends of the exible member are carried through the oppote end walls of the motor chamber and joined withinthe latter, by a connector I which in turn is secured to s; piston H to move therewith. VA second 'piston i2 is arranged for limited moveand onein which the may ment relative topman `u and has sliding num sealed contact with the exible member l by.

means o! the gasket part il. Gaskets M seal the end' walls I5 of the motor chamber where the member l passes therethrough.

For locking the window there is provided a pair of ro'ds'vlt suitably xed in the end walls il. These rods pass throughthepistons Il and I2 in a iluid tightmanner, as aiorded by the gasket vparts Il. and also through a cupped shape lock housing Il carried by the piston l2. Within the housing is a pair oflok shoes 2l opposing wall portions of the housing to cooperatively grip the rods therebetween under the urge of a toggle Jolnt2|."1'hearmsod thetoggleabuteachother at their inner ends 22Ybeneath a shoulder 23 on' the connecfnr l so that a window imparted pull on the latter in a window opening direction will expand the shoes-against the rods and lock the flexible member against movement. Therefore the window is frlctionalb locked against opening movement. The foregoing has been'more fully Set forth in Patent No. 2,369,797.

Thepiston unit I I, I2. is'normally balanced by subaimpherlc pressure, and when the consueuoneommuniuunmtneselecdmeof unit and'opens such side to the atmosphere. enthehigherpressureisappliedtopiston i2,

the latterwill initially engage the lock shoesto .movetbemoutoicontactwiththerodsand action is momentary thereafterthe llwlllcontactthepiston ii. llbrthispurnetheclearancebetweenmston llandthelockshoesislessthanthatbetween --thehousing Ilandthepiston llgthetrailingend i ottheconnectorlmovingintorecessdltoac- VVfcommodate this-movement. This a drivingconnectionbetweenthepiston I2 andtheV powermemberlforapoweredloweringofthewindow. Arevemepressurediilerentlalwillactuatethepistm Il,whlchisxedto the connector, for raising the window.

Whenthepistonilisloweringthewindowunder-a small pressure dillerentlal and therefore -loperatingataslowerthannormalspeemthe weight of the window will accelerate the window movement and, in eiect, fall upon the lock and apply the latter. In other words the window of its own weight. will exerta pull on the connector Ltotnerigntas'vieweamm-aandexpmdthe toggle joint against the shoes. This locking pistoni! to unlock theshoesgThis'constant vnlvellsselectlvelyaotuateditintel'rupts' because the pressure diilerential willagain build up and again push on the repetition results in achattering ofthe window during its descent.

To avoid this chattering there is provided an auxiliary but constantly `actingretarding means in the form of an expansive spring 28 which is interposed between the twolock shoes 20. As shown in Fig. 3 the spring is U-shaped and has outwardly directed terminals 21 engaging in recesses 28 lformed in the back of the shoes. The spring maybe located without the housing I8 in which event the terminals may enter the shoe chamber through openings 29. The spring is of suiiicient strength to place a predetermined drag upon the lock rods I6 and thereby resist free falling action of the window ahead of the pull of the motor. Thisl drag may be imposed at other points or by other means; Fig. 4 depicts an individual spring 30 for each shoe, the same being U-shaped to straddle the lock rod and the adiacent gripping parts and one or both legs having retainer nibs 2| engaging in seats to prevent accidental dislodgment of the spring.

From the foregoingitwill be observed that the lock or`clutch produces a constant drag upon the window to resist any falling tendency ahead of the action of the operating motor. This drag is produced by a spring means exerting a light pressure', upon the locking shoes. The function of the usual counterbalance spring is therefore eliminated, the retarding means ofthe present ing and closing strokes of the window operating motor. This constantly actuating lock or clutch prevents the weight of the window from moving in advance of the effective vacuum and thereby prevents the window from falling on the mechaparting from the spirit of the invention.

nismilto set the window lock during the powered opening of the window. This eliminates any chattering action and `eifects a smooth window movement.

While the foregoing has been described i'n detail, it is not intended thereby to restrict the invention beyond the scope of the appended claims since the inventive principles may be embodied in other physical structures without de- What is claimed is:

l. A window system comprising a verticallyV slidable window, a motor having a fluid operable member, means connecting the member to the window in a unit .for movement back and forth 'by 'a force applied to either the window or the member,` said connecting means having .a play connection with the piston enabling limited relative movement with respect'thereto, a lock shoe movably carried by the member, means operable by a window imparted movement of the unit durl ing such relative movement and connected to the shoe to set the latter against a fixed part to .lock the unit, and resilient means acting independently of said setting means normally to maintmtain the shoe lightly in engagement with the nxed part for imposing a drag on the unit against the window over-running the member and setting the oe when the motor is operating,

-2. A window system comprising a'vertically slidable window, a motor having a fluid operable tive movement with respect thereto.

member, means connecting the member to the window in a unit for movement .back and forth by a force applied to either the window or the member, said connecting means having a play connection with the piston enabling limited relai a loc carried by the member and embodying a shoe f invention being uniform throughout the openmovable against' aA ilxed part of the motor with p means for eifecting such movement. said connecting means having a part connected to Aand operable to actuate said effecting means during such limited relative movement. and a spring acting directly on the shoe independently of 'said effecting means for normally holding the shoe against the xed part to impose Va-drag on the unit against the window moving faster than the motor imparted speed and actuating the lock during motor operation.-

3. In combination, a vertically slidable window, a motor having a iiuid operable member, .connector means joining the member to the window for driving one from the other following a limited extent of relative movement and serving to support the windowin an elevated position from which said member may lower it by uid pressure operation, by the member for movement against a fixed part of the motor, means operable by a window imparted movement of the connector means during such relative movement for actuating said element to lock the window against lowering, and drag imposing means acting independently of the lock actuating means to urge the lock element normally against window lowering movement at a faster-rate than that imparted by the member during motor operation.

4. In combination, a vertically slidable window, a motor having a' uid operable member, connector means joing the member to the window for driving one from the other following a limited extent of relative movement and serving to support the window in an elevated position from which said member may lower it by uid pressure operation, expansible and contractible friction lock means carried by said member for engaging a nxed part of the motor, toggle-like means operable by a window imparted movement of said connector means during such relative movement for actuating the lock means and thereby secure the window against lowering, and drag imposing means acting upon said lock means independently of the toggle-like means for holding the'window against accelerating beyond the motor imparted rate of speed during motor operation thereof.

5. In combination, a vertically slidable window, a motor having a fluid operable member, connector means Joining the member to the window for driving one from the other following a limn `ited extent .of relative movement and serving to support the window in an elevated position from which said member may lower it by fluid pressure operation, expansible and contractible friction lock means carried by said member for engagv 'ing a iixed part of the motor,4 toggle means opert able by a window imparted movement of said connector means during such relative movement for actuating the lock means and thereby secure the window; and spring meansacting on the lock means independently of the toggle means for applying the lock meansto a limited degree and thereby imposing a drag upon the window Yagainst the latter accelerating faster than the notor imparted speed when the motor is opera ing. t

6. In combination, a vertically slidable window. a motor having a ilu'id operable member, connector means joining the member to the window for relative movement and serving to support the window in an elevated position from which .said member may lower it by iluid pressure operation, a pair of fixed rods within the -motor chamber on which the member slides with a a friction lock element supportedv uid tight seal, a pair ot lock shoes movably carried by said member for engaging the rods, means cooperating with the shoes to cause them to frictionally grip the rods upon a. Window imparted movement of the connector means, and a spring having its opposite ends connected to the shoes to urge them against the rods for providing a drag in resistance to a gravitational movement of the window while the latter is being lowered by the motor.

7. In combination, a vertically slidable window, a motor having a fluid operable member,4 connector means joining the member to the window for relative movement and serving to support the window in an elevated position from which said member may lower it by fluid pressure operation, a pair of nxed rods within the motor chamber on which the member slides with a fluid tight seal, a pair of lock shoes movably carried by said member between the rods for engaging the latter, toggle means interposed between the shoes to expand them against the rods upon window imparted movement of the connector means, a housing enclosing the shoes and toggle'means and providing abutments atthe outer sides of the rods to cooperate with the shoes in gripping the rods, and a spring interposed between the shoes to expand the shoes against the rods.

8. In combination, a vertically slidable window, a motor having a fluid operable member, connector means joining the member to the window for relative movement and serving to support the window in an elevated position from which l said member may lower it by fluid pressure oper-` ation, a pair of xed rods within the Vmotor chamber on which the member slides with 'a fluid tight seall a pair of loci:v shoes movably carried by said member between the rods for engaging the latter, toggle means interposed between the shoes to expand them against the rods upon .window imparted movement of the connector means, a housing enclosing the shoes4 and toggle mea'ns and providing abutmentsat the outer sides of the rods to cooperate with the shoes in gripping the rods, and spring means acting on i the shoes independently of the toggle means to press the shoes against the rods, said spring means being arranged outside the housing and having parts entering the latter to engage the.

shoes therein.

9. In combination, a vertically slidable window,

a motor having a. iluid operable member, con-l nector means joining the member to the window for relative movement and serving .to support the window in an elevated position from which said member may lower it by fluid pressure operation, a rod iixed within the motor chamber or.. which the member slides with a iuid tight seal, a lock shoe movably carried by said member forv engaging the rod, means rendered inoperative by and during motor operation of the window and cooperating with the shoe to cause the latter to frictionally grip the rod upon a window imparted movement of the connector means, and a spring connected to the shoe to urge the latter against the rod for providing a drag in resistance to a gravitational movement of the window while the latter is being lowered by the moto-r.

10. In combination, a vertically slidable window, a motor having a iluid operable member, connector means joining the member to the window for relative movement and serving to support the window in an elevated position from which said member may lower it by fluid pressure operation, a rod xed within the motor chamber on which the member slides with a fluid tight seal, a lock shoe movably carried by said member for engaging the rod, means rendered inoperative by and during motor operatit ti of the window and operable to set the shoe against the rod upon window imparted movement of the connector means, a housing enclosing the shoe and the shoe setting means and providing an abutment at the opposite side of the rod to cooperate with the Ishoe in gripping the rod, and spring means acting onthe shoe independently of the setting means to press the shoe against the rod, said spring means being arranged outside the housing and having a; part entering the latter to engage the shoe therein.

11. A window system comprising a vertically slidable window, a motor having a chamber and a piston therein, a transmission member operatively connecting the window to the motor for actuation thereby, clutch means operable by a window imparted movement of the member to lock the window, said clutch means embodying expansible and contractible shoe means and means operable by such window imparted movement for subjecting the shoe means to a clutching urge, andresilient means normally acting on said shoe means independentlyrof the shoe expanding means to expand the shoe means with a relatively lighter clutching urge for imposing a predetermined drag on the window when the motor is operating. l

ANTON RAPPL. 

